Foundation to help city’s paraplegics

It was supposed to be her last glide of the day at a weekend paragliding camp in Virar.

And life would have gone smoothly for management consultant Ketna Mehta, but for a horrific crash-landing that fateful day.

“I crashed and injured my spine on Thoracic (T) -12 level. Then followed six hours of rigorous therapy per day for two years, because of which I am now mobile with the support of a walker,” recalled Mehta.

Spinal cord injury is a serious and permanent form of disability, which causes complete or partial paralysis waist-down (paraplegia) or neck-down (quadriplegia). “Spinal cord injury transforms the person’s life, as it affects the limbs as well as the bladder, bowel, skin, bones and other organs of the person.

Rehabilitation is the key to facing life with dignity,” explained Mehta.
Not one to accept defeat easily, Mehta founded the Nina Foundation for persons with spinal injuries, in 2001, which now has 300 people on its database.

The nine-year-old foundation focuses on the education and rehabilitation of persons with spinal injuries and spreads hope among the patients and their families.

Last week, the foundation observed the second spinal cord injury awareness day, with the idea of emphasising the need and importance of holistic rehabilitation facilities for people with spinal injuries, in Mumbai.

“What we need is a world class rehabilitation centre; not just physiotherapy but a complete approach for a person with spinal injury, to enable him/her to get full control of life,” said Dr Mehta.

In a bid to spread awareness about the issue, Dr HS Chabbria, medical director, Indian Spinal Injury Centre (ISIC), Delhi, made a presentation about the state-of-the-art SCI rehabilitation centre in Delhi. “I wish that hospital groups in Mumbai would take this up and establish a similar centre in Mumbai,” she added.

Ketna was one of the lucky few who manage to overcome the odds. Last year, she completed her doctorate in healthcare management, and became the first woman paraplegic in India to have completed her PhD.

She currently works as the editor and associate dean, research, at Wellingkar’s Management Institute, Matunga.

Arlene D’Souza, who won the ‘Rockstar’ award initiated by the Nina Foundation, is another such achiever. D’Souza was on her honeymoon, travelling on the Udhyan Express from Mumbai to Bangalore, in 1994, when the train met with an accident. D’Souza has very little mobility in her left hand and stays with her elderly parents now.

Despite her tough life, she has managed to find employment.
Nina Foundation, through its newsletter, ‘One World - Voice of Paraplegics’, website and helpline, gives information and solutions related to the distinct physical, medical, psychological, social, recreational and vocational issues faced by people with spinal cord injuries.

One of the toughest challenges faced by a person on a wheelchair, explains Ketna, is that of access. “When it comes to being disabled-friendly, on a scale of 1 to 10, I would rank Mumbai at 0.5,” Ketna said.

Access is difficult in most parts of the city, be it banks, ATMs, post offices, temples, railway stations, and even gardens. “We have a fleet of disabled-friendly buses, but they are so few and have fixed timings,” she explained.

On the positive side, Mumbai has a very helpful spirit. “Most people come forward to offer their help when they see a person on a wheelchair,” she added.

(For more details, log on to: www.ninafoundation.org or call Nina Foundation’s 24 hour helpline for people with spinal injury, on 9769680820)